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Summary
In this dissertation I have sought to study a form of outdoor
space in Islamic built environments. The term of
al-fina'
is used
to identify this outdoor space as it was and is applied in Arabic
societies, although the phenomenon existed and exists in other
Islamic societies with different terms and applications.
Al-fina'
has strong influence on the urban fabric, particularly the street
environments.
This study is concerned with the relationship between the
applications of al-fina' and the character of the street
environments of Islamic cities in the Middle East.
I attempted
to find out if and how these applications played a role in
constituting the organic character of the old Islamic eities, and
whether they are continuing to influence the street environments
of the present Islamic cities.
The study is also concerned with the role of Islam and the
local traditions in constituting the cultural schemata of the
users and how it influenced their decisions for their actions and
creations to meet their needs and desires in the
fina'
space, and
within the local context. I also tried to find out if this
cultural schemata has a developmental process, such that it
influences the present environment as it did in the past.
The study is done in two major stages. The first was to
identify which urban concept and processes should be studied in
order to explain the outdoor space character of street
environments of Islamic cities, through literature study and
field work in Cairo to find this focus. The second stage started
when the phenomenon of
al-fina'
was identified. Then the major
research questions were developed and a detailed study designed
to gather data and answer the questions. I again used a
literature study and field work in four cities Arbil in Iraqi
Kurdistan, Cairo in Egypt, Istanbul in Turkey, and Mecca in Saudi
Arabia. I focussed in more detail on Cairo to benefit from the